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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spring — of water
  8. race — humankind
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. race — a contest
  15. pound — a weight
  16. key — in music
  17. bass — low music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pound — for dogs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com